Permanent Odegaard move to signal end for Arsenal duo

James Holland
Martin Odegaard Arsenal

A permanent Arsenal move for loanee Martin Odegaard would reportedly lead to Dani Ceballos and Reiss Nelson leaving the Emirates.

The Gunners are interested in signing Odegaard on a permanent basis after seeing his impact on the team.

He’s recently scored goals against Olympiacos in the Europa League and Tottenham in the North London derby.


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But according to the Express, an Odegaard transfer would see Ceballos and Nelson leave Arsenal.

Ceballos played an important part in convincing Odegaard to join the club on loan.

The Spaniard is on loan from Real Madrid too, having first joined during the 2019/20 campaign.

However, he’s seen less game time in recent weeks as Mikel Arteta works out his best team.

Ceballos was an unused substitute in the derby win over Spurs. He also failed to get off the bench in the 3-1 victory over Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City last month.

The report states that Arsenal will prioritise a permanent move for Odegaard instead of Ceballos.

They see Odegaard as a future star in the Premier League and have been impressed by his recent impact.

Ceballos, meanwhile, isn’t viewed as a long-term solution for Arteta in central midfield.

He prefers to play the likes of Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny.

Forward Nelson is another player who could be nearing an Emirates exit. The report states that a permanent deal for Odegaard would hinge on Arsenal’s ability to sell Nelson first.

That would see them gain the necessary transfer funds to pay Real a significant fee.

Nelson has endured a tough season so far. He’s been kept out of action by a knee injury and then a subsequent head injury.

The 21-year-old is now playing with the Arsenal reserve team in an attempt to get back to match fitness.

Arteta already has Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette in attack, too. That means there is no real route into the first team for Nelson.

Odegaard seems to be closing in on a Real exit, which would see Arsenal gain a previous wonderkid.

The transfer will have wider ramifications for Arteta’s squad, with Ceballos and Nelson looking most likely to leave.